Method and system for autonomous collection of airfield FOD

A method for collecting foreign object debris (FOD) from paved surfaces on an airfield autonomously and without the need for operations personnel, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a server from a management application, an identity and a physical location of paved surfaces, obstacles, and boundaries of an airfield;
• generating, with a routing algorithm at the server, a preferred route for a mobile robot with a payload from one point to another on the airfield using the paved surfaces, avoiding the obstacles, and staying within the defined boundaries, wherein the mobile robot comprises a plurality of electric motors, a wheel frame, a lid, a safety PLC, a tow mechanism, a power controller, an edge CPU, a GPS controller, and a communications controller, wherein the safety PLC is configured to remove power to the plurality of electric motors and engage a plurality of brakes for the mobile robot, wherein the plurality of electric motors of the mobile robot allow for a towing capacity of at least 100 pounds while traveling at a speed of at least five mile per hour, wherein the payload is configured to collect objects having a length from 0.125 inch to 8 inches;
• maintaining, at the server, constant contact and control of the mobile robot on the airfield and a capability to change a robot's location and a speed of the mobile robot at any time;
• transmitting, at the server to the mobile robot, the preferred route and instructions to collect FOD from the airfield;
• dumping the FOD collected at a FOD collection apparatus;
• and
• receiving, at the server, a completion report from the mobile robot.